By Frank Taylor
First, I want to preface this narrative by defining “community.” Some may define “community” as a particular location where people live as individuals or groups with similar characteristics, including attitudes, interests, and goals. Some people believe our communities are inundated with social ills and have no goodwill for humankind to live safely or socially. Most people would say crime is ailing our communities. This could be the number one factor affecting life in our communities, supporting some Baby Boomers’ belief that the word “peace” has evaporated.
We want our loved ones to enjoy a good quality of life without constant fears or threats of being hurt without explanation. By working collectively in our communities to craft a sustainable action plan, we can shift this paradigm of unwanted and unnecessary issues. Therefore, we must converse thoughtfully with our families and community members to find a path forward and create long-term resolve.
This segment will highlight two historic communities working together to promote sustainable change. Over spring break, Greensboro Community (GBC) and Zion Ridge Community (ZRC) combined efforts to remove litter from the roadsides.
Atavius “Duck” Cobb, a ZRC clean-up team organizer, recounted the efforts to eradicate litter: “Today is an uplifting day for ZRC and GBC. We attacked this litter nuisance with collective energies to help enhance our community’s appearance.”
Joann Miller-Eiland, GBC, said, “This is a huge effort of friends and neighbors working as teammates to remove the trash. I see three generations of individuals from one family supporting today’s activities.”
Sharoone “Coop” Cooper spoke at length about his years participating in the GBC clean-up day: “I started participating in the late 80s. Initially, I didn’t fully comprehend the community’s concept. Today, I am a true advocate of keeping the community free of litter. We want to thank Duck and the crew for making it happen over in the ZRC. We will work jointly on other projects to engage the next generation of citizens from both communities.”
Joann concluded the day by expressing her appreciation for the participants’ outstanding work, which generated hope for rural America. The Winston County Self Help Cooperative members and supporters played a crucial role in the successful litter clean-up effort, which is a testament to the positive impact of community action.
